Pumping system.



W. A. BRUTON. PUMPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.19. 1913.

1,096,597. Patented May12,1914.

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Maig? W. A. BRUTON.

PUMPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19. 1913.

1,096,597. Patented may 12,1914

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i WILLIAM A. BARUTON, 0F SAN DIMAS, CALIFORNIA.

PUMPING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application med March 19, 1918.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Serial N 755,560.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. BRUTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Dimas, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Pumping System, of which two or more cylinders, so that while one is.

discharging, the other is filling and a continnous flow of the material being pumped is thereby secured.

A further object is to provide for the removal of all air from the cylinder after the liquid has passed out of the cylinder and to utilize such `air to assist in lifting the column of liquid.

A further object is to provide means for Vrestricting the infiow of air, .making it possible to reduce the rate of filling of the cylinders to a point corresponding Vwith the capacity of the well, which is an advantage over jet systems which require a .certain amount of air for their operation. In the present invention the air acts as an elastic cushion to prevent sudden closing of the valves and, therefore, prolongs the life of the valves and avoids accident thereto..

The governing valves are balanced pistons which can not move of themselves and it is impossible for them to be moved except in regular order which is determined by the location of the ports. No springs, gears, cams, etc., are employed, each valve being controlled by the others, and. no outside power is required to operate the valves.

thcr advantages will be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section through a well equipped with my system. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on line z-mz, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the spacing cage. Fig., 4 is 'a section on line act-m2 Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the air return valve.

Fig. 6 isa vertical section through the valve at the loweriend of a governor pipe. Fig. 7

is a horizontal section on line acl-", Fig. 1. 8 is a section on line ais-, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a sect-ion on line Q10-w, Fig. 7. Fig. 10 isa section on line @v10-m12 Fig.'7. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the valve chest with the cover removed.

In carrying out my invention I employ a plurality of cylinders which are immersed in the liquid to be pumped, the de th of immersion being such that the liquid will readily flow into the cylinders.' In the present instance I have shown three cylinders 1, but it should be understood that a eater or less number may be employed i desired. The cylinders l are spaced apart by spacing cages 2, shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4, and their purpose is to space the cylinders apart so that liquid can fioiv into the space between the cylinders and thereby enter the cylinders through valves 3, one of which is located in the bottom of each cylinder. Each valve 3 is an ordinary ball check valve. Each, cylinder is provided along its side Wall with a conduit 4 and the spacmg cages are provided with conduits 5 which join the conduits 4 and thus provide a continuous passage extending throughout the series of cylinders. A liquid discharge pipe 5 is attached at the upper end of this conduit and leads to the point Where the liquid is to be discharged.

The conduit 4 in each vcylinder has a branch inlet valve 6 through which liquid may pas from the cylinder into the conduit 4.., This valve is of the ordinary ball check type. The cylinders 1 are supported by a cable 7 which may be operated by a windlass 8 at, the top of the well.

Communicating witheach cylinder is a"` governor pipe and an airinlet pipe. The governor pipes 9, 9F, 9 extend into the interior of the cylindersto a point near the bottom thereof, while. the 'airinlet pipes 10 10", 10c only extend tothe upper corner of the cylinder. 'Thus where three cylinders are employed, there will be three governor pipes 9 extendin into the respective cylinders and three air inlet pipes extending to the three cylinders,'all six pipes leading to the top of the Well.- At the lowerV end of each governor pipe 9 is an automatic valve 1l shown in detail in Fig. 6, the position of which is controlled by a float 12.

13 designates an air inlet passage into the valve and 14 is the valve seat.

15 designates a support for the valve, but does not have the function of effecting any closure, for the valve has two positions, one of which is when it is closed againstthe seat 14, preventing entrance of air into the 'governor pipe 9, and the other position being open, allowing entrance of air through port 13 into the governor pipe 9, the valve when open merely resting upon the support 15. The position of the valve is determined by the iioat 12 which rises and falls according to the level of liquid in the cylinder 1. p

ln each air inlet pipe at a point above the cylinders is a transfer valve shown in detail in `Fig. 5, there being a valve seat 19 between lchambers 16 and 17 and a valve seat 20 between chambers 17 and 18.

Chamber 17 communicates constantly with the lower pipe section 10a, the chamber-.'16 constantly communicates with the upper pipe section 10, while the chamber 18 communicates with a branch pipe21 which leads to a header 22, the latterbeing connected by pipe 23 with pipe 5. A check valve 24 is employed in each pipe 21. A valve 25 operates between the two seats 19 and 2O and is. capable of closingA against either seat according to the direction in which it receives pressure as will be explained.

ln order to give room for the passage of lthe governor pipes 9a, 9", 9c and air inlet pipes 10a, 10b, 10, the two upper cylinders are formed with longitudinal grooves 26 in their side wall as clearly shown in F ig. 2. These grooves are made deep enough to accommodate the pipes which must pass the upper cylinders 1. rihe groove in the mid- .fdle cylinder 1 maybe of the same depth for convenience in manufacture, although it only need be deep enough to receive the two pipes which pass from the lower cylinder 1.',

At the upper end of the pipes is the gov-y ernor valve mechanism shown inFigs. 7 -to 11 inclusive, and comprising three pairs of cylinders a, a1,- Z), b1 and c, 01. Sliding in these cylinders are piston valves a2, a3, o2, c2, c3, each of these pairs of'pistons being connected'by a piston rod 27. ln the outer end of each cylinder is a push rod 28 which may bevv manually operated to start a pair of 'pistons into operation when it is desired to cause the pump to operate.

. Above the cylinders is an lair 'chest 29 to which the supply of compressed air is in-4 troduced by a pipe 30, the rate of indow being regulated by a valve 31. A pipe 32 places i the cylinder a in communication with the cylinder b1, a pipe 33 places the cylinder al in communication with the cylinder c, and the pipe 34 places the cylinder b in communication with the cylinder c1. The governor pipe 9t1 leads to the end of cylinder a, the

governor pipe 9b leads to the end of cylinder Z) andthe governor pipe 9c leads to the end 1 of 4cylinder c. rlhe air inlet pipe 10 leads to i noeaeov the bottom of cylinder a, the air inlet pipe `10b leads to the bottom of cylinder b, and the .space between the cylinders and thence into the air inlet pipe 10a.' ln the meantime it will be understood that on account of the cylinders 1 in the well being immersed in the liquid, that liquid will have entered all oflsaid cylinders through their check valves 3 and practically filled the cylinders. Be-

fore pushing the valves a2, a3 into the position shown in Fig. 7, the valves b2, b3 and c2, c3 are both moved into the opposite-position from that shown in Fig. 7, so that the valves b2, c2 stand directly over and close the air inlet pipes 10b and 10c with the result that compressed air from the chest 29 passes only into the air inlet pipe 10a., rlhis air passes down the air inlet pipe 10a and passes from chamber 16 of the transfer valve into the chamber 17 its pressure lifting valve 25 from seat 19,- inclosinguthel valve against seat 20 so that this air is prevented from passin g into chamber 18 and from escaping thro ugh pipe 21, so that this air continues downward from chamber 17 into pipe 10a and out from the end thereof into the upper part of the lower cylinder 1 and accumulates in cylinder l and presses do-wn upon the liquid therein and forces the liquid to raise valve 6 and pass into the conduit 4, valve' 3 f preventing outward passage of liquid. Air continues to `force liquid out of cylinder 1 in this manner and as the level of liquid lin cylinder 1 lowers, the float 12 descends, as soon as the level of liquid has iallenfto a definite point and opens valve 11, whereupon the air in the lower cylinder passes from that cylinder throughport 18 into the lower end of governor pipe 9it 'and ascends therein directly to the end of cylinder a and acting against valve a2 moves the same to the right so that valve a? st-ands over the end of air inlet pipe 10a and prevvents the further entrance of air into pipe 10, whereupon the airwhich remains in the lower cylinder l and in lthe vair inlet pipe 10a below the transfer valve passes from chamber 17, valve 25 having dropped aga-inst seat 19, into chamber 18 and thence through pipe 21 and past check valve 24 into pipe 5', entering the column of upwardly moving liquid and assisting in the upward movement thereof.

When valves a2, a3 are moved Ito the right as before described, as soon as valve a2 moves past the left hand end or pipe 32,

- from the intermediate cylinder, the oat 12 having allowed valve 11 to open, admits compressed air to the governor pipe 9b and this air rises and passes to the left end of cylinder b and moves valves b2 and b3 to the right, closing airinlet 10", and as soon as the lef-t end of pipe 34 is uncovered by valve b2, compressed air passes from behind valve b2, through pipe 34 into cylinder 01. behind valve c and moves the latter to the left, together with valve c2, thus uncovering air inlet 10 and permitting compressed 'air to pass from the valve chest 29 down t-hrough pipe 10c into the upper cylinder 1 where the liquid is dis laced as in the previous cylinders, and a ter it has been displaced, the float 12 opens valve 1'1 and permits .the air from the upper cylinder 1 to pass up through the governor pipe 9 to the left end of cylinder o and' thereupon pushes valves 02 and c3 to the right, thereby closing air inlet 10` and as soon as the left end of pipe 33 4isfuncovered by piston c2, the air passes through pipe 33 `into` cylinder a1 l behind valve a3 and moves valve a3 and valve a2 to the left, thereby uncovering air inlet pipe 9, whereupon the cycle of operation is completed and recommenced. u

It `vvill be noted that While one cylinder is being emptied of its liquid, the other two cylinders are filling. The result is that practically a continuous flow of liquid is delivered.

What I claim is: l

1. A pumping system comprising a plurality of submerged cylinders, a governor pipe and an inlet pipe extending into each of the cylinders, a discharge conduit, communicating with each of the cylinders and extending to the point of discharge, and

lrality of submerged cylinders, a governor pipe and aninlet pipe extending into each valve means for controlling the entrance of compressed air to the air inlet pipes, said valve means being controlled by air conveyed from the cylinders through the governor pipes to said valve means, valve means at an intermediate point of the air inlet pipes for admitting compressed air from saidpipes to said discharge conduit.

2. A pumping system comprising a pluof the cylinders, a discharge conduit cominunicating With each of the cylinders and extending to the point of discharge, and

valve means for controlling the entrance of compressed air to the air inlet pipes, said valve means being controlled by air con' with the discharge conduitof the cylinders. i

3. In a pumping system a plurality of pairs of valve cylinders, a pair of connected valves in each pair of valve cylinders, an inletI pipe extending to one cylinder of each pair of cylinders, a governor pipe extending to one cylinder of each pair of cylinders, a plurality of submerged cylinders, said inlet pipes and governor pipes extending into the respective submerged cylinders, one cylin der of each pair of said valve cylinders being connected by a pipe with an opposing cylinder of another pair of cylinders for transferring air to the latter cylinder to actuate the valve therein, each of the latter cylinders having an exhaust port for the exhaust of such air after the valve in that cylinder has been actuated.

4. In a pumping system a plurality of pairs of valve cylinders, a pair of connected valves in each pair of valve cylinders, an inlet pipe extending to one cylinder of each pair of cylinders, a governor pipe extending to one cylinder of each pair of cylinders. a plurality of submerged cylinders, said inlet pipes and governor pipes extending int-o the respective submerged cylinders, one cylinder l of each pair of said valve cylinders being connected by a pipe with an opposing cylinder of another pair of cylinders for transferring air to the latter'cylinder to act-nate the valve therein, each of t-he latter cylinders having an exhaust port for the exhaust of such air after the valve in that cylinder has been actuated, and means for manually v pair of cylinders, a governor pipe extending to one cylinder of each pair of cylinders, a plurality of submerged cylinders,"A said, inlet pipes and governor lpipes extending into the respective submerge cylinders',one cylinder of each pair of said valve. cylinders being' connected by a pipe with an opposingcylinder ofapother pair of cylinders for transferring air to. the latter cylinderv to actuate the valve therein, each of the latter cylin-` ders havingl an exhaust port for theexhaust of such air after the valve in -that-f'ylinder has been actuated, an inlet valvein each submerged cylinder, the submerged cylinders having a discharge conduit extending to the point of discharge. and valve means on cach governor pipe controlled by level of liquid in the associated submerged cylinder for regulating the admission of air to said governor pipe from said submerged cylinder".

6. In a pumping system a plurality of pairs of valve cylinders, a' pair of connected valves in each pair of valve` cylinders, an inlet pipe extending to one cylinder of each pair of cylinders, a governor pipe extending to one cylinder of each pair of cylinders, a plurality of submerged cylinders, said inlet pipes and governor pipes extending into the respective submerged cylinders, one cylinder of each pair of said valve cylinders being connected by a pipe `With an opposing cyl-l inder of another pair of cylinders for transferring air to the latter cylinder to actuate the valve therein, each of the latter cylinders having an exhaust port for the exhaust fof such air after the valve in that cylinder has been actuated, an inlet valve in each submerged cylinder, the, submerged cylinders having a discharge conduit extending to the point of discharge, a valve on each governor pipe in each submerged cylinder, and a iioat connected with each of said valves and supported bythe liquid in the associated submerged cylinder. l

7. In a pumping system a plurality of pairs of valve cylinders, a pair of connected valves in each pair of valve cylinders, an inlet pipe extending to one cylinder of each pair of cylinders, a governor pipe extending to one cylinder of each pair or cylinders, a plurality of submerged cylinders, said inlet pipes and governor pipes extending into the respective submerged cylinders, one cylinder of each pair of said valve cylinders being connected by a pipe With an opposing cylinder-of another pair of cylinders for. transferring air to the latter cylinder to actuate the valve therein, each of the latter cylinders having an exhaust port for the exhaust of such air 'after the valve in that cylinder has been actuated, an inlet valve in each submerged cylinder, the submerged cylinders having a discharge conduit extending to the point of discharge, and valve means on each governor pipe controlled by the level of liquid in the associated submerged cylinder or're'gulating the admission of air to said governor pipe from said submerged .cylinder, and a connection from each air inlet pipe to the discharge conduit.

8. In a pumping system a plurality of pairs of valve cylinders, a pair of connected valves in each pair of valve cylinders, an inlet pipe extending to one cylinder of each pair of cylinders, a governor pipe extending to one cylinder of each pair of cylinders, a plurality of submerged cylinders, said inlet pipes and governor pipes extending in the respective submerged cylinders, one cylinder of each pair of said valve cylinders being connected by a pipe With an opposing cylinder of another pair Vof cylinders or'transferring air to the latter cylinder to actuate the valve therein, each of the latter cylinders having an exhaust port for the exhaust of such air after the valve in that cylinder has been actuated, an inlet valve in each submerged cylinder, the submerged cylinders having a discharge conduit extending to the point of discharge, valve means on each governorrpipe controlled by the level of liq/uid in the( associated submerged cylinder for regulating the admission of air to said governor pipe from said submerged cylinder, a

i connection from each air inlet pipe to the discharge conduit, a valvebetween each air inlet pipe and said connection and having two seats With three chambers tWo of said chambers being respectively connected With the air inlet pipe vand the third chamber being in communication with said connection, said latter valve being moved against one seat to close communication with said connection during the downward 'passage of airthrough the inlet pipe, said valve being moved against this other seat by upward movement of compressed air Ain the inlet pipe, thereby permitting said upward moving air to pass through said connection into the discharge conduit toassist in lifting the liquid therein. v

=ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this In presence of- GEORGE T. HACKLEY, F. A. CRANDALL. 

